Angler lethargic

DJF · Oct 10, 2021

My angler (that I’ve had for 2yrs) is not doing well. No visible signs but is lethargic and not eating. He has been eating fine up til today. I’ve bred clownfish for him and he has hunted and ate without issues. Today he almost seems partially paralyzed and a clown is literally swimming just above his mouth. He’s in a 25g tank by himself (and a chromis that evades capture) that is part of a larger 300ish system. Is there any treatment I can do for him? I did do a flatworm exit treatment a couple days ago but followed all the instructions and also didn’t see any mass death of worms in his tank. I suspect this treatment may be the root cause but not 100%. Anything I can do for this poor guy?

Jay Hemdal · Oct 10, 2021

Is it breathing faster than normal?
Can you post a short video of it?

Here is something about anglerfish though: they are one of those species that often do very well, but when you start to really look at their longevity, you find very few that survive longer than 2 years in captivity. Even public aquariums see this happen. I don’t know if it is from a single reason, or a combination of factors, but I have seen fatty liver disease in some that died. Another cause seems to be mycobacterium.

I think @lion king has seen this also, maybe they have found a reason…

Jay

DJF · Oct 10, 2021

Had to leave for an engagement. Did a couple of water changes removing water straight from his tank and am crossing my fingers he’ll be on an upswing when I return. I’ll post a vid when I get back in around 3-4hrs. Didn’t notice much a breathing difference.

Zoa_Fanatic · Oct 10, 2021

DJF said:
Had to leave for an engagement. Did a couple of water changes removing water straight from his tank and am crossing my fingers he’ll be on an upswing when I return. I’ll post a vid when I get back in around 3-4hrs. Didn’t notice much a breathing difference.

@ lionking